LXII REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



that llax will be lai'gely grown for its fiber here, as it will be in western 

 Washington and Oregon. 



For a considerable period our operations will largely partake of the 

 nature of an agricultui'al survey, to determine where agricultural 

 operations may best be carried on b}^ incoming settlers. By active 

 W'Ork along the lines already marked out, it is believed that the experi- 

 ment station in Alaska will prove an eiJicicnt aid in the development 

 of the Territory, and will thus justify the expenditures for their main- 

 tenance. Considering the fact that the mining and other industries of 

 Alaska are already producing millions of dollars annually, it seems as 

 if the National Government might very properly expend a reasonable 

 sum in aiding the establishment of agriculture, for the sake of the 

 greater permanence and more satisfactory development of these largely 

 productive industries. 



That Alaska will ultimately have a considerable permanent popula- 

 tion there can be 1 )ut little doubt. As we have shown in previous reports, 

 Finland is the country which, on the whole, furnishes the best basis of 

 comparison with Alaska as regards natural conditions. Finland sup- 

 ports a population of two and one-half million, and its agriculture has 

 reached a high state of development. In 1895 there were produced in 

 Finland 38,174,083 bushels of barley, oats, and rye, of which 1,396,200 

 bushels of oats were exported. At the same time there were 300,650 

 horses, 2,398,183 cattle, 1,067,384 sheep, and 197,356 hogs. During 

 the period from 1891 to 1895 there were annual exportations of about 

 22,750,000 pounds of butter, 400,000 pounds of cheese, and 400,000 

 gallons of milk, or a value of 16,750,000 from dairy products alone. 

 Very conservative estimates of the agricultural possibilities of Alaska 

 indicate that agriculture may l^e regularly and successfully carried on 

 over an area fully as large as that of Finland. 



In the development of the experiment stations in Alaska, account 

 must always be taken of the vast area of the Territory, and the diffi- 

 culties and expense of transportation under present conditions. These 

 stations do not have the backing of educational institutions, or a large 

 population interested in agriculture, as is the case elsewhere in the 

 United States. All their expenses for building, equipment, and serv- 

 ices must be paid from the national appropriation. For the ensuing- 

 fiscal year the appropriation should be at least |15,000. Heretofore a 

 portion of the appropriation has been made immediately available, but 

 this has proved to be an unfortunate arrangement, especially in the 

 year in which the long session of Congress occurs, when the appro- 

 priation act for this Department may not pass until near the end of 

 the fiscal year. I would suggest, therefore, that an appropriation of 

 $3,000 be made to cover the expenses from April to June, 1901, in lieu 

 of the immediately available appropriation hitherto made and in addi- 

 tion to an appropriation of 115,000 to cover the operations of the entire 

 fiscal year of 1902. 



